Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on Wednesday, said the primary objective of his administration is to ensure Lagosians live in decent and well-planned communities.
The governor gave this commitment while unveiling LagosHOMS Lekki Phase 11 situated at Lekki in Eti-Osa Local Government, National Veterinary Research Institute Complex located in Ikoyi area of the state and LagosHOMS, Iponri in Surulere Local Government, which he named after the former Governor Babatunde Raji Fashola, now sitting Minister of Works and Housing.
The housing schemes and the veterinary institute complex, according to Governor Sanwo-Olu, were done through joint ventures, explaining that the Lagos Development and Property Corporation (LSDPC) collaborated with the National Veterinary Research Institute (NVRI) after a legal tangle that lasted for many years to build a facility that would cater for the interest of all Nigerians.
The governor assured that the state government would not only grant the title documents to the institute but would help in equipping the laboratory.
This was just as Sanwo-Olu said that his administration was resolved to commence before the end of the year the building of the State Government Workers Village in Ishefun in Ayobo Ipaja LCDA with 608 two-bedroom flats solely dedicated to workers from both the private and public sectors in the state.
He said another Workers’ Village with 501 two-bedroom apartments which will be a joint venture with the state government’s development partners will also start in Imota, adding that the good news was that these housing schemes would be complemented with a convenient mortgage package for workers.
Sanwo-Olu, while speaking on the importance of the housing schemes, said the LagosHOMS Lekki Phase 11 comprises eighty-four units, while the LagosHOMS Iponri he renamed comprises 132 housing units on a land expanse of 2.91 hectares.
Governor Sanwo-Olu said he decided to rename the LagosHOMS, Iponri, Babatunde Raji Fashola LagosHOMS, Iponri because of the former governor’s immense contributions to the development of Lagos State, “the service he is rendering at the national level as a minister and the fact that he hails from that constituency,” as well as the trouble he went through to start the project.
“My joy knows no bounds today as we are gathered here to celebrate the fulfilment of one of our promises in the housing sector. At the inception of this administration, we pledged to provide decent shelter for the people. This promise was made out of the conviction that housing is one of the basic needs of humans and a critical factor that determines the quality of life.
“Our goal is to ensure that our people live in well-planned communities as it is obtainable in many cities all over the world. In the past months, a lot of efforts had gone into completing many of the housing schemes inherited from the past administration.
“While some of these projects are funded through budgetary allocations, others are being financed through a joint venture arrangement with our development partners. I am happy to note that the LagosHOMS Lekki, Phase II, we are here to witness its commissioning is a product of a joint venture arrangement between the state government and STB Mortgage Bankers\Lekki Ultimate Company limited.
“This marks another successful collaborative effort geared towards bridging the housing deficit in the state.
“No doubt, the delivery of this housing project is a direct result of our faith in the capacity of our private sector to play a collaborative role in housing development.
”Apart from this project at Lekki Phase 2 which is yielding 84 homes, the state has been able to harvest over 244 housing units through Joint Ventures schemes at Courtland Luxury Villa, Igbokushu and Lekki Apartments, Lekki (Phase One) in 2020,” the governor stated.
“A few days ago, 252 two-bedroom terraced bungalows, a joint Venture with Echostone Development, were commissioned at Idale Badagry. Another set of 132 homes will be commissioned at Iponri today. We are also looking at completing other Joint Venture projects at Ijora and Ibeshe within the year,” he added.
Governor Sanwo-Olu urged capable investors to join forces with the government in reducing the housing deficit in the state, assuring both local and foreign investors of the state government’s willingness to provide unencumbered land for housing development on the basis of mutually agreed terms in the areas of specification of houses to be delivered and the duration.
The governor further assured that the state government would not rest on its oars until it utilized all resources at its disposal to build more homes for residents in the state.
He commended the development partners, STB Mortgage Bankers, Lekki Ultimate Company Limited for collaborating with the state government to bring the housing project to reality, adding that with this scheme they had contributed meaningfully to the actualization of the dream of achieving a Greater Lagos. Tribune
